It’s Time for Iced Teas

One of the most common questions I get this time of year is what’s my favorite iced tea and how do I make it.

I will tell you I’m a huge iced peach tea fan.

I carry three black peach teas, Peach Perfection, Peach Mojito, and Decaf Peach Black, plus two white teas, Peachy Keen and Organic Ginger Peach and a green tea called Peachy Apricot.

I also enjoy fruit teas in general, like Magic Moon, Pomegranate Black, Mango Passion Black, and Iced Cherry Black, to name a few in the black tea category.

Other green teas like Pomegranate Blueberry, Berryliscious, Carolina Dreams, Organic Fit Body, and Green Enchantress are also delicious.

There are different ways to brew black teas versus green or white teas. So I will focus on how to brew the black teas today. Next week we’ll talk about the ways to brew the green and white teas.

The first method is to do a hot brew, and there are two ways to do this.

One way is to brew your tea just as you would for a regular cup of hot tea and let it cool down naturally. Once it’s cool enough, you can pop it in the fridge to do the final chill down. This is the slowest option time-wise, so if you’re not in a hurry, this method works great. I personally will do this method right around dinner time, let the tea cool, and pop it in the fridge. It’s ready later that evening or for the next day. Pour the tea over ice and enjoy.

The second way is to do a flash chill. This technique entails brewing what’s called a concentrate. I know that sounds complicated, but it’s not. You simply add the correct amount of tea for the size cup or pitcher you’re making, but only add half the water and then steep for the regular time. Once your tea is done steeping, you add ice to make up the difference in the amount of water you should have used. Example: to make 16 ounces or 2 cups, start with 2 heaping teaspoons of tea, add one cup of water, and steep for 4-5 minutes. Once your tea has finished steeping, remove the tea leaves and add one cup of ice to the hot tea. The ice will melt, supplying the extra water needed for your tea. Add additional ice to your glass, pour your chilled-down tea over the ice and enjoy.

The second method is to cold-brew your tea overnight. This method does not require hot water. You simply add the correct amount of tea to your container, add the coldest water possible, and refrigerate it for 8-12 hours. This is obviously the slowest method. I will tell you, the flavor will probably be quite different from the hot brewed version. This isn’t bad, just different.

The equipment I use all the time...my Takeya 2-Quart Iced Tea Maker is amazing. I’ve had my original one for over 11 years, and it’s still going strong. If you come to my house, you will see one in my fridge 365 days a year. Yes, I drink iced tea and my hot teas all year round. I also use my Urban Tea Tumbler and my insulated Everest Tea Tumbler for tea on the go. If I want to make a bigger batch, my Himalayan Tea Tumbler gets the nod.

If you need additional tea ideas to make into iced teas, check out my Summertime Favorites Collection.